title: Occurrence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and strains of the Mycobacterium avium-M. intracellulare complex together in the sputum of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.
abstract: Out of 97 strains of M. tuberculosis isolated from the sputum of the same number of patients, 11 were shown to consist of a mixed population of M. tuberculosis and a strain of the M. avium-M. intracellulare (MAI) complex. The most effective method for isolating strains of the MAI complex was to incubate the culture first at 42 degrees C for 3 weeks and then at 45 degrees C for 3 weeks. By this method, the growth of M. tuberculosis was suppressed, while the contaminant mycobacteria formed colonies.
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009162:Mycobacterium avium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000382:microbiology*